Arts

Arts

Foo Fighters' 'Skin and Bones' is a live look at an old body of work

November 19

Dave Grohl has everything a rock star could want: cred as the drummer for Nirvana, his own band and a sweet beard. After five consecutive platinum albums (two of which were double-platinum), the Foo Fighters needed some way to commemorate their success. Instead of doing a typical "greatest hits" compilation, Grohl opted for a live album, this time: "Skin and Bones." An accompanying DVD will be released Nov. 28.

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Arts

High drama, high fashion at the MFA

November 18

Four times a year, Paris welcomes onto its famed runways some of the most gifted and creative fashion designers from around the globe. While each collection showcases the individual themes and artistic visions of the designers, the runways also serve as a lens through which the designers analyze the relationship between fashion and art.

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Arts

Campbell's voice could use some Belle, or maybe Sebastian

November 16

Occasionally, an album or film has the misfortune of being released the same week as a critical darling, causing it to either be forced under the radar or unfairly compared to the other work.

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Arts

That guy from The Strokes blazes new ground on solo debut despite a few subpar choruses

November 15

Strokes fans, brace yourselves for a surprise: The guitarist from your favorite band, a man who, for years, has been lying in wait behind the ostentatious personality of lead singer Julian Casablancas, has just released a solo album. It appears that there is not only a personality difference between the two; Albert Hammond, Jr. also seems to have very different musical ambitions from Casablancas.

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Arts

'Opening the Doors' exhibit unlocks little

November 13

With something as emotionally infused as artwork, especially child art, an exhibit of works by autistic children is extraordinary; it is art serving as a creative outlet for those who are emotionally blocked. Autism, while still essentially a mystery, is on the rise, with current Department of Health and Human Services statistics showing that up to one in every 166 births yield children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

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Arts

Boston Gallery makes intimate setting for Avery's seascapes

November 12

Everywhere in America, one sees the same Main Street, same Sears, same Coca-Cola, same chain drugstore, same fried shrimp and the same local museum reflecting in a lesser way the same big museum. Instead of venturing to the "big museums" this November for whatever universal art they are highlighting, search for a more intimate American vision "'bury"ed closer than you think.

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Arts

Super + Sunny + Speed Graphic = finally, a 'new' Ben Folds album

November 11

When looking at the new Ben Folds album, it is easy to dismiss it in its entirety, since it is really just a recycled production of old material. It would seem at first to be a marketing ploy to capitalize on his music without wasting any time actually making the music.

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Arts

New Who doesn't stand up to classics

November 7

When you hear the beginning of The Who's new album, you'll be forgiven if you laugh out loud. The first 40 seconds of the record's first track sound like a mildly inventive recreation of the intro to "Baba O'Riley," the song that opened the classic 1971 album "Who's Next." And when the drums kick in, they sound like a tamer version of the heart-stopping drum fill that capped "Baba"'s intro.

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Arts

March resumes in 'Black Parade'

November 5

There are many reasons to be afraid of My Chemical Romance: they're pale, they wear black, they love blood, they're from New Jersey. But rock fans across the nation now warmly embrace them as the up-from-the-underground sensation that took the world by surprise with its smash 2004 release "Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge."

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Arts

'In the Absence' not missing anything; Isis rocks

November 5

No strangers to experimental rock, Boston-based Isis once again delivers a release that nestles comfortably and sequentially into its already-extensive discography. "In The Absence of Truth," Isis's third LP for Ipecac and 15th release since 1998, continues to push the limits of experimental/instrumental music. Fusing elements of prog-rock, metal and ambient by creating a record that stays true to the band's signature sound, "Truth" also vibrantly underscores Isis's progression.

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Arts

'Young Machetes' is as dull as an old knife; Blood Brothers betray genre

October 29

If you killed a Great White Shark and used your bare hands to take out its teeth, then devised a way to put those teeth - along with a substantial amount of razor blades - into a mine or explosive of some kind and set the mine or explosive off at a Green Day show, you would rival the volatility, ingenuity and utter disregard for contemporary punk/emo/whatever conventions that characterize the work of Seattle's The Blood Brothers.

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Arts

'Born in the UK' is a 'badly' made album; Badly Drawn Boy's new album far from a perfect fifth

October 25

The great thing about the indie music world is that it is actually possible for three 15-year-olds playing in a garage for their grandma to be considered an actual band.

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Arts

Rinklin's 'Nuvolomondo' brings heaven down to earth

October 25

The Tufts gallery is not known for housing particularly famous artworks, and it is a place on campus to which many people will probably never venture. Cristi Rinklin's installation, "Nuvolomondo," however, is well worth the trip to the Remis Sculpture Court.

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Arts

'Mo Money' spent on guests, 'Mo Problems' for album

October 24

Back in middle school, Diddy was pretty inescapable, with the grating Biggie tribute "I'll Be Missing You" playing incessantly on the bus and on headphones during study period and lunch; it wouldn't be surprising if you had heard of some junior high, in macabre misunderstanding, using it for its class song at graduation instead of that one by Green Day.

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Arts

You might want to heed this 'Public Warning'

October 24

On Oct. 17, 2006, British grime MC Lady Sovereign made history when her video for "Love Me or Hate Me" reached No. 1 on MTV's Total Request Live (TRL). Whether or not hitting No. 1 on TRL is any indication of musical talent or virtuosity, one has to applaud Sov for good timing. With just one week left before the release of her first full-length, "Public Warning," on Def Jam Records, there couldn't have been a better time for her to become the first British artist to top MTV's chart.

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Arts

Despite the name, 'Pyramids' is not one of the wonders of the world

October 21

Supposedly, Pit Er Pat named their album "Pyramids" for the reappearing pyramid

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Arts

New Fogg exhibit 'sketchy' - in a good way

October 10

Under Cover:Artists' SketchbooksAt the Fogg through Oct. 22Harvard University Art Museums32 Quincy Street, Cambridge617-495-9400 A sketchbook can provide an intimate view into the mind of an artist, giving insight into how they prepare their artwork through a different medium. The Fogg's exhibit "Under Cover: Artists' Sketchbooks", on view in the Strauss gallery through Oct. 22, contains pieces from a diverse group of artists, from 18th century Rococo icon Jean-Honor?© Fragonard to contemporary artists like as Henry Moore and Boston's own Jonathan Borofsky.

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Arts

Fogg presents the human body as a really funky wonderland

October 4

When people think of modern art, they think of the extremes: abstract paintings and minimalism with little to relate to, save colors and shapes. The Fogg Museum of Harvard University seeks to change that impression with their show, "Nominally Figured: Recent Acquisitions in Contemporary Art."

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Arts

MFA displays the 'Domain' and wide range of Indian works of art

October 2

Right now at the Museum of Fine Arts, no guard will stop you from stepping too close to the artwork. In fact, it's better to bring a magnifying glass, to stand so close you are cross-eyed, dizzied from the intricate detail of "Domains of Wonder: Masterworks of Indian Painting."

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Arts

'Crane Wife' first major label try for Decembrists

October 2

Even before listening to it, "The Crane Wife" by The Decemberists is an interesting release. Not only is it the much-anticipated follow-up to 2004's critically and commercially revered "Picaresque," it is also the eccentric Portland quintet's first release on a major label (Capitol Records).

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